Former Husky All-American David Bazzi enters his fifth year as a UW assistant coach. Bazzi assists head coach Greg Metcalf with scheduling and meet management, and works closely with UW's men's distance runners.

Bazzi is one of five UW All-Americans on the Huskies' coaching staff, including head coach Greg Metcalf and volunteer assistants Duncan Atwood, Jacob Predmore and Aretha (Hill) Thurmond.

Bazzi's first four years have seen an explosion of positive results from UW's distance runners, who have combined for one Pac-10 title, four All-America awards, and eight school records, and have recorded 53 marks among UW's top-10 all-time.

The 2005 season was certainly one of Bazzi's best, as half-miler Ryan Brown won Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional titles, and earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships.

Brown also led Washington's distance medley relay to All-America honors indoors, while setting school records in the DMR and 800 meters. Austin Abbott added a UW freshman record outdoors at 1,500 meters, and cracked UW's all-time top-10 indoors in the 800 meters and mile run.

An outstanding distance runner in his own right, Bazzi competed at UW from 1996-2001, earning a pair of All-America honors in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2001 NCAA Championships. The school-record holder in both events, Bazzi was crowned Pac-10 10,000-meter champ in 2001, and competed at the 2001 World University Games in China.

The 28-year old Bazzi, a graduate of Seattle's O'Dea High School, is married to former Washington distance runner Kara Syrdal. They reside in Seattle.